hahabogus > wrote:

>I explained poorly...starbucks roast is wayyy beyond a dark french roast,
>closer to an expresso roast. At least that's what it tastes like to me. To
>me it tastes burnt.

Interesting statement, as many coffee people will say a
French Roast is darker than an espresso roast. That,
for example, is the situation among Peet's standard blends.

But it's a slippery statement either way, because lots of
roast levels are used for espresso. My local favorite coffee
company, Blue Bottle, makes numerous espresso roasts but
asserts "none of our roasts are dark roasts". They may
be stretching it a bit but they have a point.

Extremely dark roast used for espresso is typical of
mostly one place, Naples Italy. There, limited wealth
has forced local practice towards a very dark roast
made from very cheap beans, but brewed with such precision
that it comes out very good. (Think one-tablespoon shots
of syrup-consistency espresso with a great head. Er
excuse me. "Crema.")


Steve